Edinburgh City Council — the one in Scotland — has taken the radical step to ban adverts for fossil fuel companies and high-carbon products.
The council announced the new policy earlier this week and will see adverts for a roster of products and services banned from advertising in council-owned spaces such as bus stops and billboards and will also extend to event sponsorships.
It also banned adverts from businesses that manufacture weapons. However, it stopped short of outlawing adverts for meat products, though the council had mooted this. The ban in the Scottish capital follows similar crackdowns from councils around England. The city also has a net zero carbon target for the end of the decade.
“It’s just basic common sense that if the council is serious about its commitment to climate justice, we cannot allow council advertising space to be used to promote fossil fuel companies,” said Ben Parker, a councillor for the Scottish Greens, who spearheaded the policy.
The ban will apply to all sponsorship and advertising agreements when they come to renewal. Some contracts are in place until 2030.
“It is unthinkable that the council should enter into contracts with arms companies whose weapons – which in some cases are manufactured here in the city – are being used in the horrific and relentless bombardment of Palestine, at the same time as the Council has publicly called for a ceasefire,” added Parker.,
“Today we have taken a clear step to say: we don’t need their money, we don’t want their money, and we don’t think it’s right for the Council to legitimise the practices of organisations whose business is to profit from war.”
The council’s decision comes despite warnings that it may lead to a drop in advertising revenue of up to 10 per cent, or around £200,000 (around $AU384,000).
However, Alys Mumford, another councillor for the Scottish Greens said “There is no evidence to suggest that they wouldn’t be able to replace [lost ad revenue] with other products that are not high carbon.”
